My Girl
by NothingsImpossible
Summary: Carla had a one night stand 14 years ago. The result. Her 14-year-old daughter Jessica. She knew deep down Paul wasn't her biological father but that didn't matter. To her he was her dad. To him she was his daughter. She had a family. Right now her life was going good. she was happy. Until one night her entire life was flipped upside down.
1. Chapter 1

He came back. She didn't think he would come back to coronation street. She should have guessed really, his father was here and so was his step-mother, his sister and his business. What she was going to do she didn't know. He knew Jessica was his. Would he say anything? Surely he would. How was she supposed to explain to her 14-year-old daughter that HE was her dad, that she had been living on the same street as her grandparents and aunty for years.

'Mum, are you coming or what?'

It was Jessica.

'C'mon Car, you coming in?'

Paul.

God she felt guilty. How would she explain this to her child and the man she called dad. Damit Carla. Pull it together. It's your best friend's engagement party.

* * *

Carla found herself walking into the rovers return to be greeted with the happiness of the others around her. She had to try her best to disguise her anxiousness about the situation. Her anxiousness about the fact her daughters biological father was sat in his father's home probably enjoying a nice reunion with his family. She had to be happy. She had to plaster a smile on her face for Chell. This was her party after all and Carla was determined not to let her rocky past destroy that. She smiled along with others, laughed at their jokes and reminisced about old memories but all the while he was in the back of her mind, she couldn't ignore the fact that sooner or later she would have to explain it all.

Sooner or later Jessica would meet her father and Carla really didn't know how her daughter would react to the news. To say Jessica had issues would be an understatement. Her behaviour was often out of control. She had been kicked out of countless schools already and having just started at Weatherfield high Carla really didn't want to jeopardise her chances. Not to mention the fact that at this moment of time in her life he daughter was at her happiest. She had met a new group of friends and the school were going above and beyond to ensure she was happy there and that she was staying out of trouble. There was also the fact that Jessica loved Paul. He had been there from the moment she was born. The one who stayed by her side after a bad dream. The one to clean up her grazed knee when she fell over. The one to teach her how to ride and bike and how to swim. The on who took her to her first day at school and went to all her parent's evenings. The one who was there for the bad times. The one who dragged her kicking and screaming out of school. The one who prised the alcohol from her shaking hands. The one who calmed her down when she worked herself up to the point of harm. The one to talked her down when she wanted to end it all. But also the one to see all the good times. The one who sat and listened to all her mixes with tears in his eyes. The one who watched her sing on stage. The one to watch her dance performances. The one to watch her on stage. The one to watch their little girl flourish. But most of all her was the one who was there. He was her dad.

She couldn't take it much longer. She needed air. Paul was stood by the bar and she had just watched Jessica and Ryan head out the back so she had no choice but to step outside the front of the rovers.

* * *

She wished she didn't.

She saw him.

But not just him. He had a little boy with him too. They were getting some items out of the car she presumed to be his.

"Careful with that son" she heard him say

Son. He had another child. Which meant Jessica had a brother. He looked no more than 4 years old.

 _oh god_ Carla thought. This would make it worse. She would think he didn't want her. She would resent not only her father but her brother too. She was too busy in her thoughts to even think about hiding from the bloke and was pulled from her train of thoughts when he said,

"Carla"

She froze. What could she say. Her eyes met his. She couldn't speak.

Neither could he. He hadn't seen her for years. 14 to be precise. The last time they spoke she told that their daughter had been born happy and healthy. They had come to the agreement that he would stay away so they could protect their relationships. She promised him she would be cared for by her and her partner whose name he remembered to be Paul. She promised they would love her. So he did. He stayed away from her. He focused on his life with Lucy. But it hurt him every day. He might have thought it was for the best but it hurt like hell knowing his little girl would grow up to call another man daddy. But now here he stood. His four-year-old looking up at him in confusion as her stared at the woman who was the mother of his first born child with the question of where his little girl was right now. Was she at home with Paul? or had Carla brought her to the rovers? where was she living? was it far away? or just round the corner? He had so many questions but no idea where to start.

She could see the questions running round his head but couldn't muster up the words to say anything to him. Instead she walked straight back into the pub leaving him stood in the street not quite knowing what to do.

* * *

She sat in a booth in the far corner of the pub wanting to stay out of the way. However, Michelle had seen her sneak off to the corner and followed her over armed with a drink for both herself and her best friend. Michelle took a seat opposite Carla and it took her all but a second to realise that there was something wrong.

"What's the matter Car" Michelle spoke.

Michelle was her best friend and the only one she had confided in about her daughter paternity despite the fact that she was married to her brother. Michelle had vowed to keep it a secret and she had. They had never spoke about it again after the night Carla told her. Before moving to the street Michelle told her all about the residents. Carla never thought she would have to tell Jessica about the other side of her family but it looked like that time was getting closer and closer.

"He's here 'Chell, he's back." Carla said almost inaudibly

Michelle needed no explanation. She knew what that meant. She knew exactly who was back and just like Carla she didn't know what the effect of this would be. She just took Carla's hands and followed her gazed over to where Paul was stood with Jessica. He was stood with her fiancé Ciaran and her son Ryan. She sighed and looked at Carla who truly looked as if she could break down at any minute.

* * *

As the pair stood up and started to move towards the other side of the pub where their families stood the door opened and in walked in Ken, Tracy and Deidre Barlow who looked like they had well and truly had the shock of their lives. The door swung open once again but this time it was the residents of coronation street who were in for a shock as an old face came through the doors with a young boy by his side.

"Alright pal! What are you doing here" Ciaran beamed.

"Couldn't miss your engagement party now I could I" He chuckled back.

He received a chorus of welcome backs from old friends and residents. But he wasn't all that interested he just looked right at Carla and said,

"where's my hello then car?"

The pub looked bewildered at how the two knew each other.

"long time no see, 14 years to be precise"

It took all but a minuet for Paul to realise who he was. Who else would it be. It had to be him. He didn't know his name. Only that Jessica had features just like his. He was her real dad.

He took a step closer to Carla.

"Hello, Peter" Carla spoke quietly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow. Thank you so much for the reviews I have received! I honestly never thought anyone would like what I was writing!**

 **Here's the next chapter, please be aware that I have altered the ages of the characters.**

 **I hope you enjoy it**

* * *

It angered him. Who did he think he was turning up out of the blue unannounced like this. He's not taking my girl away from me. No-one is.

"It's good to have you back pal, we've missed ya" he heard Ciaran say

"Its good to be back mate, I'm hoping this is a good move for us" Peter replied not once taking his eyes off of Carla.

The locals in the pub had by now stopped staring and has gone about conversation amongst themselves. The pub was loud and buzzing with life as the music became louder and everyone started to laugh and joke again.

However, that wasn't the case for the Connors or the Barlow's. No. The Barlow's knew. Peter told them everything and it was taking all of Ken and Deidre's will power not to say anything to the teenage girl. It had to be her parents who told her. Jessica and Ryan looked confused and continued to chat between themselves along with Liam. Ciaran was trying to understand why his best pal was starting at his sister in law. Michelle just stood there unsure of what to say in the situation. Paul looked petrified. And Carla, well Carla looked blank. She was consumed in her thoughts. In the memories she shared with Peter Barlow.

* * *

 _She was 20. He was 26. She'd argued with her husband. He'd argued with his girlfriend. So they retreated to an unknown pub a place no one would know them. Somewhere to get away from their loved ones. They both craved the attention. It was just a glance. They both looked the same way at the same time and then it happened. Their eyes locked together. They saw the other craved attention. In a split second he was by her side. She was sliding up to be closer to him. He had been drinking and so had she. She took his hand and led him outside. Their adrenaline was running high, and with one glance to his car, the pair clambered into the back seat. Their lips touched. The kiss was full of lust. Here she was in the back seat of a stranger's car kissing him. She continued. So did he. Before they knew it she was stripped down to her underwear and he was stripped down to his boxers. And they continued. Not a thought of their respective partners in mind. He made her feel good and gave her the power to forget about the argument she'd had with her husband._

* * *

Reality.

She was just stood there. Peter staring at her. Paul staring at him. Michelle looking awkwardly between the three. Ciaran standing there looking utterly confused. And Jess. Jess stood by the bar without a care in the world talking aimlessly to Ryan and Liam. What was she supposed to say? Carla didn't know how to react. She was stood just metres away from the man who she had sex with in the back of his car all those years ago.

Michelle broke the silence.

"Why don't you all head through to the back"

So that's where they went. Carla walked swiftly through the bar and through to the backroom with Paul hot on her heels. Peter followed behind them but his pace was slower. He wandered round the back of bar right past his daughter. He tried to look away but he couldn't he found himself looking at the girl whose life he had missed out on tremendously and man did he regret it. She was beautiful. Much like her mother, Peter thought to himself. She had her hair, her smile, her laugh but there was undoubtedly one thing she had inherited from Peter. His eyes. They were big and brown, much like Simon's and his own. They sparkled. He could tell she was happy. And that put him very on edge. He didn't want to ruin that. She looked up. She saw him watching and smile at him, a sort of sarcastic, are you alright there smile. She looked away before he could smile back.

* * *

He just turned around a small smiled on his face and headed to the back room where he could hear a hushed conversation between Carla and her husband.

"C'mon Carla he's just gonna wreck everything"

Was all Peter heard as he entered the room.

"Not interrupting am I" Peter grinned.

"what do you want here Peter? Why have you come back now? You promised you'd stay away" Carla said rather angrily.

She already knew what his answer would be.

"Seriously Carla, my family is here, my business, everything I've got is here and now it's just me and Simon I needed some support. So my dad invited me here, said we could stay with him until we sort somewhere permanent" Peter said rather loudly.

She just sighed.

"A warning might have been nice, instead of you know just turning up out of the blue" Carla replied, her tone softer than before.

"I didn't think, id completely forgot about you living here now until I saw you stood out front" Peter told her truthfully because he really had forgot that they had moved there.

Paul just stood there watching the exchange, wondering when Carla was going to tell the man to do one. But she didn't. Instead she sat down and put her head in her hands unsure of how to handle the situation in the best possible way. On one hand she had Paul who had been there for Jess since day one. On the other there was Peter who after all these years had turned up and would soon want to be introduced to his daughter. Why her life could never be simple she didn't know.

* * *

Jess sat next to Ryan as he talked about the next gig he had secured for them in town. Normally she would be elated. Making music was her passion and being able to see people enjoy her music made her happy. Making tracks with Ryan and going to bars and clubs around the city was what they did. Yeah, they were young but that didn't matter, they had found their talent. They didn't care about their school grades. They just wanted to make music. So when Ryan saw that his best friend was somewhat distracted from his music talk he knew she had something on her mind.

"What's up" Ryan said as he turned to look into her eyes.

"Nothing Ry, everything's fine" she was lying.

He knew that. See, one thing that everybody wished Jess didn't get from Carla was her ability to build walls. To be able to block everybody out when she had something on her mind. Ryan hated it when she would shut him out. He had spent years building up the trust between them and she now rarely ever shut him out. So when she did it hurt but it made him dig harder.

"C'mon Jess I know you and I know when you've got something on your mind, tell me, we said no walls remember, you can trust me" he said, emphasising the word trust.

She sighed.

"It's just the way mum was earlier, she's really on edge and I can't tell why. She's been like it since this morning, she went out to check on the factory and when she got home she just I don't know she just shut herself away. I can tell somethings up and the way she stormed into the back room. It's just I don't know but somethings up and its big I can tell" she told her best friend, but with a small and quite voice.

"Well I'm sure that whatever's going on, she will tell you when she's ready, now stop worrying it's gonna be fine" he tried to reassure her.

"I suppose" he replied with slightly less doubt than before.

"So this gig…"

* * *

"You can't just turn up like this and expect and nice little welcome from the daughter you've had nothing to do with Peter" Paul spoke bitterly.

"Well Paul you don't think I don't know that, I'm pretty terrified actually, I'm expecting her to tell me she hates me for not being there!" Peter shouted angrily back.

"Well she should! You've not done a single thing for her Peter. Not one! I'm the one whose been here. I've been here since day one, she doesn't need you. She's got me" Paul shouted back, his insecurities staring to show.

"Oh is that it. Your worried I'm gonna take her away are ya. Shame" Peter said mockingly.

"Would you too give it a bloody rest!" Carla screamed at the pair to get them to stop arguing.

It worked. They stopped and both looked at Carla.

"This isn't some competition against each other! This is going to flip my little girl's world upside down! She's finally starting to get back on track at school and I know this is going to completely shatter that" Carla said worry hindering her voice.

"Look Carla, I'm sorry. I really am but I can't not tell her. Me dad and Deidre are gonna be going berserk out there not being able to talk to their granddaughter. I need to tell her. I need to so I can start on the long road that is making it up to her" Peter said much calmer than before.

"I know. I understand we both do" Carla said shooting a look a Paul.

"She needs to know you're her dad" Carla said

"Your whose dad?" came a voice out of nowhere.

Jess. She was stood behind Simon with Ryan stood behind her. None of them had noticed the door open. Carla heart was racing. She couldn't put it off. Jess would ask questions. She wouldn't let it lie.

"Where did you three come from" Paul said calmly trying to keep the situation as calm as possible.

"Simon, wanted his dad and seeing as you two were in here with him, me and Jess said we would bring him through" Ryan answered his uncles question.

"You gonna answer me or what" Jess said towards Peter with a slight attitude in her voice.

He didn't quite know what to say. He just stood there looking at her. She stood with her hand rested upon Simons shoulder. Unaware that he was her brother. He could tell she was a natural with children and that she would be an amazing and caring big sister. He looked up at her unsure what to say. When he finally built up the courage to tell her he just couldn't form the words. He stood there not able to tell her who he was. It was Carla's voice that rang out. It was her who told her.

"Yours" Carla spoke softly, tears streaming down her face.

She looked shell shocked. She too unable to speak.

"He's your dad" those words rung in her ears…

* * *

 **Sooo another chapter. Please review and tell me what you think**

 **Do you want Jess to bond with Peter? And what do you want to see happen with Paul?**

 **Thanks for reading guys**


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